Seton Hall University eRepository @ Seton Hall Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs) 2013 Admission Crisis In Nigerian Universities : The Challenges Youth And Parents Face In Seeking Admission Bakwaph Peter Kanyip Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations Part of the Higher Education Administration Commons Recommended Citation Kanyip, Bakwaph Peter, "Admission Crisis In Nigerian Universities : The hC allenges Youth And Parents Face In Seeking Admission" (2013). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 1908. https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/1908 ADMISSION CRISES IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES: THE CHALLENGES YOUTH AND PARENTS FACE IN SEEKING ADMISSION BAKWAPH PETER KANYIP Dissertation Committee: Eunyoung Kim, Ph.D., Mentor Barbara V. Strobert, Ed.D., Joseph Stetar, Ph.D. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Seton Hall University 2013 ii ABSTRACT The need for access to university education has recently become vital in Nigeria as a result of an increase in the college-age population and an awareness of the role of university education in the development of the individual as well as the nation. Recent admission policies of Nigerian universities have been dissatisfactory to the Nigerian public as many applicants and parents go through difficulties while seeking admission for limited available spaces in the universities. Universities take the task of admission of students into the academic system seriously, using the guidelines set by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). The National Universities Commission (NUC), which regulates university education in terms of standards, has set policies based on merit, carrying capacity, catchment areas, and quota for educationally disadvantaged states as criteria for admission into all universities. It has been argued that rather than these policies enhancing access to university education, the criteria restrict access to higher education. Each year, thousands of applicants sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations and less than twenty percent (20%) on the average gain admission into the universities. This study reviews research on the historical overview of the Nigerian higher education system, organizational system of Nigerian universities, and scholarly views on the factors (such as inadequate number of universities/absorption capacity in Nigeria, lack of adequate facilities, and shortage of adequate manpower) and admission policies (such as carrying capacity, catchment areas, and quota for educationally disadvantaged states) that are responsible for the admission crisis in Nigeria and have a direct effect on parents and students regarding admission. The review iii concludes that the above factors and policies are the actual cause of the admission crisis in Nigeria, leading many parents and youth to face difficult challenges in seeking admission. KEYWORDS: education, university, admissions, access, enrollment, carrying capacity, Federal Character, quota system and catchment area, gross enrollment ratio (GER), absorption rate, National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I thank God, whose goodness and mercy have been seeing me through all my life. Lord, continue to bless the souls of my late parents and grant eternal rest to them. In a very special way, I owe a debt of gratitude to my dissertation mentor, Dr. Eunyoung Kim (my big sister!), and my dissertation committee members, Dr. Barbara Strobert (my darling mummy), and Dr. Joseph Stetar, (my school mentor and advisor), whose understanding, moderating ability, and scholarly assistance helped me to remain focused and made this work easier and what it is. My thanks also go to all the faculty who taught me during this period in the university and all staff who assisted me. May God reward you all. I wish to thank and appreciate the enormous support and love I always enjoy from my siblings. They are always there for me at any given time. May the Lord support you and see you through successfully in all your endeavours. Also, my sincere appreciation go to my former pastor at St. Joseph’s Parish, Spring Valley, New York, Fr. Rudolph Gonzalez, at whose parish I stayed when I attended school, parishioners of St. Joseph’s Spring Valley, especially St. Jerome’s Bible Society, whose love and support I enjoyed throughout my stay in the United States. May the peace of the Lord be with you. I am indebted to KASU, especially to the registrar Barr, Sani Abubakar, who granted me the permission to conduct my research in the university, Dr. Alexander Kure, who tirelessly assisted me to conduct my research in KASU, and finally all those who gave me the privilege to interview them both within and outside the university. You have all contributed a lot to this work and may God reward your effort. v Most profoundly, I am indebted to my Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Y. Jatau (emeritus), who granted me the opportunity to travel and study in the United States, and my present Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, whose support and encouragement I received during my course of studies. May you both ever experience the mercy and love of God in your life. My thanks to Emmanuel Ogbaki, who really helped me in all my interviews, transcriptions, and printing work, Fr. Justin Podos and Fr. Francis Agba, at whose houses in Vom and Barnawa, respectively, I stayed and did my research work. I am also grateful to Fr. Bulus Karis, whose place in the cathedral became my Bethany during my research at KASU. I owe Marion Dunell and Fr. Lawrence Ahyuwa gratitude for assisting me towards the finishing point of this work by their tireless efforts to see that I successfully defend this dissertation. I also thank the Augustinian community of Our Lady of Lourdes Coker, Lagos, for hosting me to have my defense in their parish. May God bless you all and grant you your heart’s desires. To my friends, especially my coursemates, I must register high joy for having them as colleagues because of the fraternal love I enjoyed from their company. The same goes to my brother priests, both home and abroad. Thank you for being there for me. Finally, my thanks to all my friends who stood by me, supported and contributed to this work and to my studies in the university and my life generally. May God bless you all, who is able to do more than we can ever ask for or imagine. To Him be all glory and honour forever. Amen. vi DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my former pastor at St. Joseph’s Parish, Spring valley, New York, Fr. Rudolph Gonzalez, and my older brother, Fr. Felix Kanyip Kumai, who both assisted me to get settled in the United States to study, and the entire membership of St. Jerome’s Bible Society of St. Joseph’s Parish, Spring Valley, New York, for their love and support throughout my stay in the United States. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract.............................................................................................................................ii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................iv Dedication.........................................................................................................................v Table of Contents.............................................................................................................vi List of Tables....................................................................................................................ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................1 Introduction...........................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem......................................................................................6 Purpose of the Study............................................................................................13 Research Questions..............................................................................................13 Theoretical Framework........................................................................................14 Significance of the Study.....................................................................................15 Delimitations of the Study...................................................................................16 Definition of Terms..............................................................................................17 CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW ………………………...................................20 Introduction..........................................................................................................20 Organization of the Review..................................................................................22 Literature Search Procedures and Criteria for Inclusion......................................24 Historical Overview of the Nigerian Higher Education System..........................25 Colonial Background before 1960............................................................26 Post-Independence Period........................................................................28 Forces That Shaped the University and Admission System................................30 The Military